Picker-stick-controlling means for looms



July 24, 1928. I 1,678,268

J, NORTHROP PICKER STICK CONTROLLING MEANS FOR LOOMS Filed Maron 24, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Whhhhhhhhh July 24, 1928.

J. NORTHROP PICKER STICK CONTROLLING MEANS FOR LOOMS Filed March 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Xiwel- 11014:

Patented July 24, 1.928.

UNITED STATES PA'rEN'rA OFFICE.

JONAS NORTH'ROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSTGN- MENTS,'TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A. COBYOB- 4 TION OF MAINE.

IPICKER-STICK-CONTROLLING MEANS FOR LOOMS.

Application led March 24, 1925. Serial No. 17,880. p

The present invention relates to an improvement in picker stick controlling means for looms. f. The object of the invention is to produce a means for controlling the stopping of the picker stick. In making a pick of the shuttle, the picker stick catches the shuttle and imparts a rapid motion-` to the shuttle and then comes to rest, and in high speed looms the velocity of the stick at the time the shuttle leaves it is great, as a consequence of which it is desirable to provide means for gradually bringing the picker stick to rest withoutjar and without injury tothe picker stick or otherparts.

In the accompanying drawings illustratlli ing the preferred form of the invention Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the end of the lay of a loom with the wooden guide block at the front of the lay omitted, showing a portion of the shuttle box, picker stick and the picker stick stopping means; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the mechanism, the picker stick being cutvon the line 2 2, Fig. i 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a top plan of the check lever; and Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the same.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is describedas follows: The lay 1 is provided with the usual picker stick slot 2, bor. 3 and picker' stick d. The inner end of he picker stick slot 2 is provided with a rubber block 5 against which the picker stick may strike if it is not brought to rest before it reaches the block. On the under side of the lay frontward of vthe slot 2 is mounted the wooden guide block 6, which is provided with a leather face 7. The surface of the -leather projects slightly beyond the front wall of the picker stick slot, and is` intended tol engage the front eide of the picker stick lt is provided with vtransverse slots 3 and secured in place by the bolts 9, the slots aifording provision for forward and backward adjustment of the guide block to compensate for wear or variations in size of the picker stick. @n the under side of the latter is pivotally attached a picker stick check lever i2. il. pivot bracket 11 having an upwardly extended ear 12 which engages the front side of the lay, receives, the bolt 13 by vwhich the pivot block 11 is secured to the lay. This pivot block is provided with a boss 14 depending therefrom, upon which the check lever is pivotally mounted. This boss is perforated by a square hole which receives the square bolt 15 having a square head 16. y

The end of the bolt is threaded, and receives a nut 17 which is screwed thereon. This nut is provided with a single tooth 18 adapted to engagel one of the notches 19 in the under side of the spring follower 20. This follower is provided with a square hole, and held from rotation by the square shank of the bolt 15. A spring 2l is interposed between the follower 20 and the-check lever 10, the latter being provided with an elongated hub` or nave 22 to ali'ord a good bearing for the lever on the boss of the pivot bracket 11. Thebase 23 of the pivot block l1 is extended inward from the rear edge of the lay Well toward the picker stick slot, and it is also extended longitudinally of the lay in both 'directions from its center a substantial distance. piece 24 entends from end to end of the base of the lay at the back of slot 2 and is provided with a hole in the center which receives the boss 14. This leather friction piece is secured to the base 23 of the pivot block -by rivets. The upper side of the check lever is. provided with two leather friction pieces 25 and 26. They conform in general to the outline of the upper surface of the check lever, and extend, the piece 25 from the line 27 to the line 23, and the piece 26 from the line 29 to the line 30. These pieces of leather are secured to the arms of the check lever by means of rivets, as shown.

The check lever. 10 comprises twc arms 31 and 32, the upper surfaces of which are flat and lie in the saine plane. Depending from the arm 31 is the pad carrier 33, and

'depending from the arm 32 is the pad 'carrier 34. These are vertical webs formed integral with the arms of the check lever.k To these pad carriers are attached the leather pads 35 and 3G respectively, being secured thereto by rivets, as shown.

upwardly projecting stop 37 extends above the general upper surface of the arm 3l of the check lever, and is adapted to en- A leather friction.

lll@

gage the edge of the base 23 of the pivot bracket 11 to afford a means for limiting the forward movement of the arm 3l. -A web 38 extends from the stop 37 to the pad carrier 33 to stiffen both.

It will be observed that the pads 35 and 36 are curved slightly, and that the `general direction of the inner pad 35 is toward the pivot, but to the rear thereof, while the general direction of the outer vpad 36 is toward the pivot, but to the front thereof. These surfaces are so positioned vwith respect to the picker stick staff' as to cause the inner pad 35 to offer a greater checking resistance to the picker stick than the outer pad 36.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the parts to occupy the position illustrated 1n Fig. 2, with the picker'stick in its outer position ready to pick the shuttle, it is now picked, and by the time it has traversed three-quarters of itslstroke, it has started, accelerated and thrown the shuttle. The picker stick then strikes the inner pad 35, which, being covered with leather, does not injure the stick, but turns the check lever,

and this turning'of the check lever is resisted by the friction between the statlonary friction piece on the base of the pivot bracket, and the leather friction piece on the upper surface of the check lever, so that turning. of the check lever is resisted by the frictlon between the friction pieces, andthe picker stick is arrested without' suffering the 1njury of a violent blow against the rubber bumper 5 and without injury to the parts with which it comes in contact. The angle at which the inner pad 35 is presented to the staff of the picker stick is ,such that a rather severe blow of the staff agamst the pad serves to cause friction to be .set up between the staff and the pad, which 1s one of the means by which the staff 1s brought to rest, and besides, the check lever turns under the resistance imposed by the friction between it and the base of the ivot bracket. Thus the picker stick is broug t to rest without injury to itself or to other l parts. The return stroke of the picker stick is less violent than the picking stroke, as a. consequence of which the angle of the outer pad 36 is less abrupt where the staff engages it on its return stroke than the angle' at which the stick engages the inner ad 35, and the stick as it moves outwar ly into engagement with the o uter pad36, is, gradually brought to rest without injury to itself or to parts against which 1t may come in contact. y

The resistance of the check lever to turning may be varied to suit the loom speed and other conditions by screwing' the adusting nut 17 up and down on the bolt 15.l s it is screwed up farther it causes the spring 21 to exert greater pressure upon the' friction' pieces, and thereby imposes a greater resistance uponthe check lever to turnin'g.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. Picker stick controlling means for looms having, in combination, a lay provided with a picker stick slot, a picker stick, a picker stick check lever plvoted yon the lay upon a vertical axis and having two arms each provided with large friction surfaces 'for engagement with the picker stick extended in opposite directions therefrom at different angles to the picker stick, the inner arm offering greater checking resistance to the picker stick than the outer arm, the pivot being positioned so that either the one or the other arm of the lever overlaps the picker stick slot, a pivot upon which the lever is mounted, friction material interposed between the surface of the lever and the surface of the pivot, and a spring, spring follower and nut for increasing and decreasing the pressure on the spring to increase and decrease the frictional resistance of the lever to turning.

2. Picker stick l controlling means for looms having, in combination, a lay provided with a picker stick slot having a guide block in the side of the slot provided with a friction material surface rejecting slightly beyond the front wall ci) the picker stick slot to engage the front side of the picker stick, a picker stick, a picker stick .check lever pivotally mounted on the lay onv the under side of the same provided with 'two wide surfaced padded arms to engage the picker stick at opposite ends of its throw acting to press it against the friction material of said guide block, and non-metallic frictonal means for restrainin the movement of the check lever under t e blows of the picker stick.

3. Picker stick controlling means for loomshaving, in combination, a lay provided with a picker stickl slot havin on its under side a guide block provide with a friction face projecting slightly beyond the adjacent wall of'the slot, a picker stick, a picker stick check lever pivotally mounted upon the lay on the opposite side of the slot from the guide block to swing in a horizontal plane, having two wide surfaced padded arms each adapted to be turned over the pickerstick slot by the engagement of the picker stick with the other arm, and each acting to check the movement of the picker'stick at the ends of its throw, said-3 uarms having picker stick engaging faces located out of register with the guide block, and frictional material confined between a face of said check lever and the lay to resist thef rocking movement of said lever. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JONAS NORTHROP. 

